River Murray Minister Karlene Maywald said the project was temporary and the solution for the river itself was to increase inflows. The Murray-Darling Basin Minister-ial Council agreed to provide $6 million for the project at its meeting in March.

“The Murray-Darling Basin Ministerial Concil has recognised that the crisis facing the Lower Lakes is a national issue and that all jurisdiction in the basin must be part of the solution,” Mrs Maywald said.

“The ultimate solution is more water flowing down to the end of the system to improve the health of the lakes and Coorong.”

The two lakes have naturally separated due to silting and this resulted in Lake Albert’s water level dropping further than Lake Alexandrina’s.

The water level in Lake Albert will be maintained at its existing level to stop the lake bed being exposed and the potential development of acid sulfate soils.

Mrs Maywald said the State Government was concerned about the long-term damage that had already occurred in the Lower Lakes because of over allocation and the drought.

Acid sulfate soils contain sulfuric acid or have the potential to form sulfuric acid when exposed to oxygen in the air, such as when a lake bed usually covered by water is exposed.

Acid sulfate soils can cause a decline in water quality and potentially harm wildlife and threa-ten public health.